Untamed Love

by Anton Swanepoel

  “Oh believe me, things here are all over you.”

  “Anything better than Chase?”

  “Oh no. His perfect ass and come to bed eyes will forever be burned into my memory.”

  “Well, at least you can image your hands are his instead of Rick’s next time you take a bath.” Jeni teased.

  “Hey.”

  “Just saying. Anyway. What are your plans now Aurora?”

  I have half an hour to run down and get breakfast then catch my bus at 7. I should be in Siem Reap by tonight.”

  “Okay. Let me know when you checked into your hotel.”

  “Will do. Bye.” Aurora cut the call short. It was hard seeing Jeni on Skype and not being able to hug her. After Aurora’s parent’s death, her grandmother raised her until she passed away when Aurora was 25. Aurora had met Jeni in the hospital coffee shop while Aurora’s grandmother was in her last days. Jeni’s dad was in the hospital for terminal cancer. They formed a sisterly bond and was perfect opposites in life but the same inside. Jeni would get Aurora out of her apartment, and Aurora would put the brakes on before Jeni destroyed herself partying. Deep down, Aurora knew she and Jeni had the same problem. They both thought they were not good enough. Aurora tried to prove to the world she was by climbing the corporate ladder, while Jeni tried to prove the world was right by destroying her life one party and boyfriend at a time. Neither could admit the painful truth to themselves, the ones they loved lied to them. Aurora had gotten used to Jeni always being there. Now, she had to face the big scary unknown world all on her own, with very little planning. It hurt, it sucked, but she wanted to do it. She needed to. Aurora felt like a failure for not completing a promise and dream she had for so long. She needed to fill an emptiness inside her. Aurora gave one last look at the bed. Only the blood stains remained. The enemy had retreated to the cracks in the wooden walls where they waited for their next unsuspecting victim. She slung her large backpack over her shoulders, grabbed her smaller pack, and then headed downstairs.

  “Morning. Do you serve breakfast?” Aurora asked the same lady who checked her in the day before.

  “Yes, included.”

  “Included in the room?”

  “Yes, you want breakfast?”

  “Yes, please. Can I have the menu please?” Aurora’s spirit lifted a bit.

  “No menu.”

  “Okay. What’s for breakfast?”

  “You sit down. I bring.” The lady said and pointed to a couch with a low table in front of it, a distance from the reception desk. Aurora nodded, and took a seat. Aurora took out her iPad mini, connected to the internet and then opened up an online hotel reservation application. From an email Jeni had sent with all the information she needed, Aurora found the place Jeni stayed in when she was in Cambodia. Quickly Aurora searched for the name and was delighted to find pictures of the rooms on offer. The place was a combination of a hotel and dorm, very popular with single backpackers. Aurora frowned when she looked at the pictures. The room looked stunning compared to her first experience, but was only priced at $12 a night. Is this a scam? Well, I will book one night and see how it goes. It cannot be worse than what I had. Aurora selected a single room with air conditioner, and made the booking. The booking was pay on arrival, and made her feel a bit more comfortable about the booking.

  “Breakfast.” The reception woman said and placed a plate with scrambled eggs, a baguette, and a cup of black coffee in front of Aurora. It smelled fresh and Aurora’s stomach clapped hands.

  “Thank you, do you have any milk and sugar?” The woman gave Aurora a sideways look, frowned, and then went to the kitchen. Moments later, she came back with a small metal pot that contained condensed milk.

  “Milk and sugar, in one, no fridge.” The woman smiled.

  “Thank you.” Well, this is a first. While Aurora chewed a mouthful of scrambled egg, she poured a teaspoon's worth of condensed milk in her coffee, and then gave it a nice stir. The aroma that filled the air was mouthwatering. Not even Starbucks coffee came close. When she took a sip, she was in heaven. I do not know what this coffee is, but it is awesome. A slight caramel taste, mixed with the kiss of love. Aurora quickly finished her breakfast, and then decided to get another of the guidebooks from the same author that wrote the backpacking book. Not taking any chances, she selected the larger guide book with over 65 temples and over 380 images. It was the images she was after. She hoped that maybe one image was similar to the place she was looking for. She was just in time in downloading the eBook when the reception lady shouted. “Your bus, go.”

  A dirty old double decker bus stopped with creaks and rattles in front of the hotel. Aurora grabbed her bags, threw a good buy over her shoulder and ran for the bus while she fished out her official receipt. A conductor about half her age came up to her, took the paper, and to her surprise nodded his head when he took her large backpack. He opened a side flap, and Aurora cringed when he threw her bag in the hold that was already overfull. He bumped and shoved her bag a few times to make space. Satisfied that the bag partially fitted, the guy closed the flap. Turning around, he bumped against the flap repeatedly with his bum until the hatch took. Aurora was glad she did not have anything that could break in the bag. I hope the flap does not open along the way, and my bag falls out.

  Aurora gave one last look at the flap, and then followed the conductor onto the bus. Aurora froze when she got to the top deck. The bus was packed, even the aisle was stuffed with boxes and goods. Her jaw slightly dropped. Two wire cages containing chickens sat on top of the boxes down the aisle. Unsurely she turned to look at the driver. He motioned for three locals sitting on the first bench by the door to make space. All smiles they made room for Aurora, not at the least inconvenienced. However, even with Aurora’s slender figure, it took a bit of shuffling to fit.

  “Sorry sorry.” Aurora whispered. She felt like being placed in a sardine can. The young conductor climbed in, pulled the door closed, and then fastened it to the hand railing with a rope. As they drove away, the door flapped open and close a few inches while it pulled against the rope. Aurora’s heart stopped when the conductor leaned against the door with his back and started a conversation with the driver, who was having a conversation with multiple people as he had one cell phone pressed against his left ear with his shoulder, while holding another to his right ear with his right hand. The conductor heaved to and fro while the door pulled slightly open and shut. Aurora’s brain called her eyes liars.

  12 minutes later, the bus came to a sudden stop. Aurora looked out the window and her eyebrows knitted. There was no bus station around. About 15 people stood, including two of the women next to Aurora, and exited the bus. Aurora watched while they disappeared into various small shops along the road. This is how they go to work every day? And I complain when a cab takes a minute longer to show up than expected. Aurora looked at the local woman who remained next to her. She was in the winter of her years. With a shudder, the bus pulled away again, just to drop more passengers off every 20 or so minutes. Now and again, a few new locals climbed on, haggled a bit with the conductor over the price, and then took a seat. The further they went from Bangkok, the more infrequent the stops were, until it was smooth riding. Aurora popped her ear buds in and turned the volume up, then closed her eyes.

  “20 Minutes.” Aurora shot up when someone grabbed her arm. The conductor stood in front of her. “20 minutes.” He repeated. Aurora quickly scanned the bus. She was the only one left. Outside, the other passengers stood in line to buy bananas, mangoes and other fruit from a roadside stall. Next to the fruit stall someone fried something on a grill Aurora did not recognize. She stretched herself out, then stood and headed over to the fruit stall. With three people in front of her to the fruit stall, she recognized what was being fried on the grill. They were frying giant tarantulas. Aurora went cold, and the blood drained from her face. Her eyes focused on the bowls next to the grill. Deep fried cockroaches and crickets. Nausea shot up through her body. Locals
bought the cockroaches and crickets by the handful. They scoped them up, and threw them in plastic bags, then crunched on them like they were popcorn. The world around Aurora started to spin. Stumbling away, Aurora made for the back of the bus. Cold sweat covered her body and she gagged for air. She leaned against the bus and closed her eyes. Desperately she tried to think happy thoughts. Slowly, the nausea faded. By the time the conductor called, back on the bus, her legs had just enough power to get her to her seat. Crunching sounds came from behind Aurora and goosebumps covered her skin. The hair at the back of her neck stood, and a shiver ran through her. Aurora kept her eyes nailed to the road in front until the bus pulled away from the critter grill.

  As before, the elderly woman sat next to Aurora. The smell of fresh bananas filled the air while the lady ate a few from the large bunch she had bought. Aurora gave the bananas a sideways glance. I can so do with one of those now. Aurora’s stomach announced her thoughts and she looked away. The old woman squeezed Aurora’s leg causing her to jerk in her seat. Aurora snapped her head around, and stared at the two bananas the women held out to her. Her cheeks turned pink and her jaw slightly dropped. Quickly Aurora pulled out a $10 note but the woman just shook her head. She pushed the bananas and Aurora’s money to Aurora. A lump formed in Aurora’s throat, and her eyes welled up. What makes me deserve such kindness? The bananas went down as not even the best meal in Manhattan could, almost rivaling chocolate-chip ice cream.

  “You are searching for love?” The women asked.

  “I, I don’t know what I am looking for. I am lost.”

  “No, you only think you are lost because you have been told you are lost. The path is right in front of you.”

  “And where does this path lead.” Aurora tried not to smile. This conversation is getting mysterious. I wonder if she is going to pull out a crystal ball.

  “To what we all want, love.”

  “I left that chance in New York.” Aurora sighed.

  “Love is all around you. But you have to love yourself and believe you are worthy of love before love will come to you.”

  Aurora looked out of the window. Great, I am never going to marry. A bit more rested, Aurora spent the time to the Poipet border between Cambodia and Thailand admiring the countryside. Cornfields, large rice fields and open countryside passed by. Aurora was god smacked when she watched how locals stood knee-deep in mud while they pulled out rice plants. The country houses were mostly pole frameworks with banana leaf strips woven to make panels. How many bed bugs can hide in those panels? A shiver ran through Aurora.

  With creaks and rattles the bus shuddered to a stop at a small roadside restaurant near the Poipet border. Aurora and five other foreigners were ushered to a restaurant where they all took a seat. A fridge that contained sodas and water grabbed Aurora’s attention, and she headed for it. Grabbing one can of Coca-Cola and two bottles of water, she approached a man at the entrance of the restaurant where he filled out forms.

  “80 Baht. You have Cambodia Visa?” The man said after giving her a quick glance.

  “No.”

  “You need to buy Cambodia Riel. You can exchange your US dollars here.”

  “That’s a lie. US dollars are accepted freely in Cambodia.” Aurora’s comment made the guy look up and study her for a moment.

  “You are a smart one. You want help with a visa and a taxi to border?” Aurora looked at the border post that was almost half a mile away. It would take a lot to carry her large backpack that far.

  “How much?”

  “$10, drinks and taxi included.” The man said without looking up while he filled in forms for the other foreigners. It was a service she had read about. They take the guesswork out of filling in the visa forms for you, for a small fee of a few dollars. You could do it yourself, but they often had a way of skipping the lines and getting your visa done faster.

  “Deal.” Aurora said and sat down, then handed over the money and her passport. The guy quickly filled in the immigration forms for Aurora, handed it to her, then pointed to a local waiting by a scooter.

  “That is the taxi?” Aurora gasped

  “You want to walk?”

  “No no, I just never rode on a motorcycle before.”

  “Easy, just do not fall off.” The guy mumbled without looking up. Aurora shook her head, then slung her large backpack over her shoulders and slugged it to the scooter. She put her small backpack between her and the driver, then climbed on the back with help from the driver. He had no problem grabbing her body and dragging her on the back of the scooter, then raced away. Aurora had no choice but to hold the guy tightly around his middle. Aurora smiled. He surely must enjoy having foreign girls hug him out of fear by the way he rides. However, in Aurora’s case, excitement flooded her veins. The air was blowing her hair all over while they rushed along. She felt free and alive. I am so going to hire a scooter. The driver stopped the scooter in front of a building marked, Visas.

  “Over there.” He said and pointed to the building. To Aurora’s surprise, the lines went fast and in a few minutes she had a Cambodia visa. An even bigger surprise was that the same guy on the scooter waited for her outside. He did not have enough of her holding him and gave her a lift to the arrival's building further down the road. Aurora took her place in the lines and got her paperwork ready. A local officer came up to her, gave her a small form to fill out, and glanced at her visa and passport. Nodding his head, he moved on. Aurora was glad she brought a pen. Her mind drifted while she filled in the arrivals form. I wonder if Chase will really be at the temples. I was so stupid not to ask him his email address. Why can’t I stop thinking about him?

  “Next.” Aurora jumped. She was next in line and was holding her line up. Quickly she moved forward and handed the officer her paperwork. He gave her passport a quick once over, looked at her visa, and then scanned the bar code on it. Satisfied that all was correct, he pointed to a fingerprint scanner. Aurora had not even noticed it. Wow, they have a modern system here. After capturing her finger prints and picture, the officer handed her back her paperwork and indicated for her to move along a passage that led past the building. Following the other foreigners like a nice sheep, she came to a waiting area. Within minutes, the young conductor located her, and helped her with her bag to the bus that waited nearby. Aurora’s shoulders hung when the old woman was not on the bus. The last section to Siem Reap went by with Aurora reading romance novels on her IPad mini. At the bus stop in Siem Reap, she took a tuk tuk and directed him to the hotel. Local houses and then businesses flew past while they passed through the heart of Siem Reap and then out the other side. Aurora looked around when the area became more rural. I hope he is taking me to the right hotel, if a hotel at all. Good thing I know karate and Cambodians are small.

  Minutes later, they pulled into a dirt parking area of a hotel. Scores of backpackers walked passed the tuk tuk on their way to or from the open reception area a short distance away.

  “Your hotel.” The tuk tuk driver said and pulled her backpack from the tuk tuk, then placed it on the ground next to him.

  “Thank you.” Aurora paid the driver and then slung her backpack over her shoulders. The straps dug into her narrow shoulders. I would never have been able to carry this bag if Jeni did not take half of my stuff home for me. Slowly, she made her way past a number of bamboo couches and low tables where backpackers were enjoying drinks, food and good conversation. The smell of quality fast food was a welcome change from the previous hotel.

  “Hi, I have a booking for one night.” Aurora said when she dropped her bags at the reception desk.

  “Hello. Passport please.” Aurora was taken back for a moment, but handed her passport over. The girl took Aurora’s name from her passport, then scanned a list in her book. When she found the booking, she turned around and made a photocopy of Aurora’s passport on a small printer and scanner behind her.

  “$12 please.” The girls said and handed Aurora back her passport.

  �
��Can I see the room first?”

  “Yes, no problem.” Her casual answer shocked Aurora. The girl motioned to a guy almost smaller than her that stood ready nearby. They exchanged a few words in local Khmer, and then she handed him a key. Turning to Aurora, she continued.”$1 and he will take your bag to your room.” Aurora eagerly nodded and the guy effortlessly slung the bag over his shoulder. Aurora gasped when the guy almost jogged away with her bag, forcing her to run after him. Is it just me that is a pansy? From the back of the main building came pop music, and Aurora could not help but swing her hips while the guy led her past a garden and then to the right to another building. From the paint and look of it, it must have been newly built. Two floors were done with the third one not yet complete. Aurora followed the guy up to the second floor, and along a walkway that served as a balcony, to the last room. The guy opened the door for her, and let her enter first.

  “Wow.” Aurora gasped. The room was just as in the online pictures. Aurora’s shoes squeaked on the clean white tiles when she moved over to the wood base double bed with its matching wooden dresser. The white sheets smelled like lavender when Aurora picked up the pillows and mattress.

  “No bedbugs.” The guy’s comment drew a laugh from Aurora. Passing the bed, Aurora gave the bathroom with its floor to ceiling tiles a once over. The toilet and shower were separated by a glass sheet, the shower had an instant hot-water heater that worked, and there was toilet paper. Returning to the bedroom, Aurora tested the air conditioner and smiled when cool air flowed over her. A TV on the dresser flanked by a flower pot and a kettle as well as a soft fleece blanket on the bed completed the room. Aurora’s heart rejoiced, and she glowed from happiness. This is perfect.

  “You take?” The guy asked.

  “Yes.” Aurora forced herself not to hug the guy and tried not to seem over impressed. She followed the guy out, watched him lock the door and took the key from him. He led her back to the reception and held out his hand. Aurora handed him $2 and could not help but smile when his eyes lit up.